Thursday, December 11, 2025
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Overcome Barriers to Access & Success

Deaf and hard of hearing students often attend campus alongside hearing students, at times facing challenges with social isolation and advocating for their needs. Ensuring consistent access to accommodations is crucial for fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for deaf students.

Join us on December 11, 2025 when our expert presenter – Veronica Willis-Oldham, the Assistant Director of the Student Accessibility Resource Center at Western Kentucky University and a specialist in coordinating services for the deaf and hard of hearing – will help you overcome the barriers to access that often prevent deaf and hard of hearing students from getting the accommodations they need and eliminate stress for administrators in trying to juggle student and faculty needs. You’ll also be able to better help faculty understand when real-time services are required to help eliminate push-back and frustration and empower deaf and hard of hearing students to thrive. 

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you: 

• Create effective communication access plans by learning how to assess the unique and complex accommodation needs of deaf and hard of hearing students.
• Make informed financial decisions by understanding how other Disability Services Offices are managing tight budgets.
• Clarify institutional responsibilities by defining the distinct roles of the institution, the disability services office, and the student in ensuring legal and practical compliance with accommodation needs.
• Leverage assistive technologies and AI tools to enhance access and inclusion for deaf and hard of hearing students in both academic and campus life.
• Improve campus-wide communication and inclusion by learning respectful communication practices, key etiquette, and how to train faculty and staff on supporting deaf and hard of hearing students.
• Strengthen faculty engagement and accountability to ensure accommodations are consistently implemented and supported in classrooms.

Presenter

Veronica Willis-Oldham, M.A., is a native of Kentucky and a two-time Alum of Western Kentucky University. She serves as the Assistant Director of the WKU Student Accessibility Resource Center which is the point of contact for students to initiate the process for securing ADA related accommodations at WKU.
Click here for full bio.